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Kitan Petkovski is the Producer and Rochelle Bright is the General Manager of Massive Company, which opens its latest production The Brave this week. Renee Liang (herself a sometimes producer) asks them about their respective roles.

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“Does anyone know a good producer?”  A question often asked in the theatre world I come from.  Most often, people learn about producing by default - for example, I’m a writer who produces her own work.  Over the last few years, I’ve learnt the hard way about putting together a creative team, financing, grant applications, publicity plans, catering, ticketing, knowing your target audience, booking a venue, cleaning up, cooking for a large hungry cast - and on it goes.  No wonder producers are such elusive prey - if you believe that a producer is doing their best work when no-one notices what they are doing, then the role is arguably one of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated jobs in theatre.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s times when producing can be deeply satisfying. For example when sending off yet another thick parcel of grant applications (or else I’m lying through my fixed smile).  But seriously, there are people on this planet who really love the idea of making great work from behind the scenes, and those people have my deepest admiration (and I’m also keeping their numbers to myself). 

Kitan and Rochelle of Massive Company are two such people - coming from the worlds of acting and writing respectively, they are now happily working ‘behind the scenes’ - if such a light term can describe the important work they do.  I caught up with them a few days before their latest production, The Brave, opened.

What does a General Manager do?

Rochelle Bright: Preface: The role of a Producer and a General Manager depends on the needs of an orgainsation, therefore all of our answers are ‘Massive-centric’.

At Massive – the General Manager reports directly to the board and in conjunction with the Artistic Director is responsible for the overall running of the company. This includes: operations, finance, contracts, management of staff, stakeholder relationships, strategic planning, fundraising and sponsorship etc etc.

What does a Producer do?

Kitan Petkovski: At Massive – the Producer is responsible for production management, logistics, liaising between venues, cast, crew, leads marketing campaigns, social media, communications and audience development, is the person who takes minutes at board meetings and sits with a flip camera at the back of workshops etc etc.

How did you become involved with Massive?

RB: After 6 years of working in New York with Broadway Producers, I returned home wanting to get back into NZ theatre. Within a few weeks of being home, the General Manager position opened. Knowing Massive’s reputation and international work, I was incredibly excited to get onboard.

KP:  I joined Massive at the age of 16 as a cast member in Up Close Out Loud, which we toured to Manchester. From there, I moved into Assistant Directing to Assistant Producing to where I am now - a fulltime Producer. Back in 2007, when Rochelle was on holiday from New York University, she actually watched me perform in Up Close Out Loud – little did we know our paths would cross and we’d be stuck in the same office 24/7.

RB: Stuck? You love it!

What kind of training did you do for the job, and are there any skills you'd like to pick up in the future?

KP: My training for the producer role started when I was a teenager. Working with Massive from a young age has given me a greater understanding of the company’s kaupapa, which is important, especially when working within an arts organization that is vision-led.

I completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree degree from the University of Auckland - combining arts and business. In 2010 I took on the Assistant Producing role under the guidance of Massive’s then Producer, James Wilson. The hands-on training led to me producing Havoc In The Garden at the Auckland Arts Festival and this year The Brave, which opens at Q theatre on April 18th.

Skills I’d like to pick up in the future: Further training in online media marketing, which I will be studying as an intern with 87AM in New York City this coming May. Can hardly wait!

RB: My background is in writing for theatre and over the years this has included a lot of fundraising and grant applications, which is vital for a GM at Massive. While I was in New York, I did an internship at Columbia Artists Theatricals - one of the largest touring companies in America. Shortly after that, I began fulltime as an administrative assistant, working on contracts, as well as being the personal assistant to the President of the company. In 2009, I started learning the trade of company management off-Broadway, with Theatre Management Associates. A highlight was the opportunity to sub form the CM on Fureza Bruta by Argentinean company De La Guarda. Everyday at work, when a decision needs to be made, I stop and think what my mentors in New York would say.

Skills I’d like to pick up in the future: international touring.

What are some of the challenges you faced to make The Brave?

KP and RB: Biggest challenge: having a lot of ground to cover and only two people in the office. As The Brave is a devised work, everything is being created up to the last minute, which means that we have to be on our game and quick to adapt. 

What's the most rewarding part of the job?

KP and RB: At Massive – it’s seeing the growth of young people involved in our company and seeing audiences experience something special that is Massive-centric. With productions like The Brave, which draws on personal stories, we believe that theatre has the power to change people’s lives.

What advice would you have for anyone thinking of becoming a Producer? A General Manager? 

KP and RB: Best advice is, to know as much as you can about your role. You also need to be a person that gets shit done. Period.

The best things to know are accountancy and logistics. Best traits to have are people skills and insider knowledge of the industry. Producing and General Management are leadership roles - this means you have to be ahead of the game. The success of a production can depend on the strength of the management team involved. Your job is to make sure the show comes within budget, that the community knows it’s on and that there is a foundation of resources to keep everything going.  I know you’re probably asking yourself, do we do all that Massive? ….well we work bloody hard and we always do our best – it’s what we call the “Massive way”.

What opportunities does Massive offer for young up and coming producers and arts managers?  What other opportunities are out there?

KP and RB: Massive is about long-term development. We work with young people over many years and if someone shows interest in arts management, we give them the opportunity to be involved in a project. Since 2002, Massive has taken on emerging producers who have since gone on to become industry leaders. Some of these people include, Anna Cameron, Julie Nolan, Anthea Williams and James Wilson.

There are a lot of independent companies looking for Producers and assistance out in Auckland  – seek and you will find.

What's next for you?

KP and RB: The Brave opens at Q on Wednesday 18th and then moves to the Mangere Arts Centre from April 24. By then, we’ll need a holiday. Come June, we will begin preparation for our 2013 production written by Gary Henderson, My Bed, My Universe.